Improvement in rotary card-cutters



2 Sheets-Sheetl'. E. MORGAN.

Pal-per Gard-Gutter.

No. 208,754. Patented Oct. 8, i878.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

E. MORGAN. Pap-er Gard-Gutter.

Patented Oct. 8, 1878.

i i ZMU ZZZZE MPEI'ERS. PHDTO LITHOGRAPNER. WASHINGTON D C,

UNI-TED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELISHA MORGAN, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN ROTARY CARD-CUTTERSQIZ er 5M:

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 208.75 1, dated October 9, 1878; application filed March 28, 1877.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ELISHA MORGAN, of Springfield, in the" State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Machine for Cutting Postal and other Cards; and that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

The object of my invention is to cut postal or other cards from strips of card-board or paper, and to count them into parcels of any desired number, so that an attendant may, at a signal given by the machine, arrange the latter to have others counted, while those previously cut and counted are removed therefrom.

To this end my invention consists of a series of circular cutters arranged upon rolls having their bearings in a frame, in combination with feed-rolls and a pivoted lever, pawl, ratchet, and hammer, so that when the strips of cardboard are passed in between the rolls to be out each strip raises the lever, moves the ratchet-wheel one notch or tooth successively, and when the desired number are counted the hammer strikes the signal, and the attendant removes those already cut and counted, to make room for others.

It also consists of a prismatic shaft having upon each of its sides a series of plates arranged forming pockets, with guards and holders arranged therewith, to hold the cards in place, and the shaft is arranged in horizontal bearin gs, whereby the shaft, when rotated, has a slight horizontal movement, and, by means of a lever, ratchet, and pawl arranged upon the end of the shaft, it may be partially rotated to bring any desired side or series of pockets uppermost, all which will be more fully hereinafter described.

Figure I is. aperspective view of my invention. Fig. II is a central vertical section of the same. Fig. III is aplan view of a part of the prismatic shaft, showing the arrangement of the pockets and their guards and holders; and Fig. IV is an end view of the shaft, with a part of the end plate broken away to show the ratchet and pawl for turning the shaft.

In the drawings, A is a frame, in the jaws I of which, at each end, are the boxes I, in which the shafts E and E have their bearings, one above the other, and each fitted with circular cutters I) b, securely fastened to said shafts, in such manner that the circular edge of each cutter on one roll. or shaft bears against the side of the corresponding cutter on the other shaft, as in the ordinary circular shears. These cutters I) are placed at equal distances apart along the rolls in cutting a series of cards of equal length, and in rear of these rolls are the rolls 1? and F hung in suitable bearings at each end; and small portions of the upper roll, F along its length, may be cut away if cards are to be cut having a printed impression upon their upper surfaces, such as the stamp upon a postal card, so that the ink from the impression will not adhere to the roll as the cards pass through.

In front of the line of cutters I) b are two other delivery-rolls, F and F and in rear of the feed-rolls F and F is a platform or table, B, supported upon the frame A.

Each pair of rolls-that is to say, the feedrolls F and F the delivery-rolls F and F and the rolls E and E. upon which are arranged the cutters b, all revolve in the same direction; and they are so located with reference to each other that if a strip of card-board is placed upon the platform B and forced in between the feed-rolls while all the rolls are in motion, the strip will be carried between all the sets of rolls while in a horizontal position.

A cap, ll, holds all the rolls in proper position in their bearings; and secured to the cap is a shaft, L, upon which is fitted, to revolve freely thereon a ratchet-wheel, 5, having, say, twenty-five teeth. A plate, N, is secured to the shaft by the side of this wheel i, to which is secured a bell, M, or other equivalent article, upon which a signal may be struck, and to which plate is also pivoted a lever, o, having a"pawl, a, loosely attached to its upper end, the loose end of the pawl resting upon and against the ratchet-teeth of the wheel a. The lower end of the pivoted lever 0 hangs down to a point a little below a horizontal line at the point where the edges of the cutters I) meet, and is curved a little, and extends forward in between the rolls E and E, a space pocket deeper than the other, the object bebeing made between those rolls, or a recess in ing to cause the cards to lie freely and unione of them, for that purpose, or so that the formly in the pocket, with one side higher lower end of the lever 0 may have room to l than the other. As the aggregate width of move up and down between them. the pockets between the plates S in the se- A pin orprojection, s, is made on the side of rice 011 one side of the prlsm 1s a little less theratchet-wheelhamlahammer,n,ispivoted than the actual length of the uncut strip of totheplateNortoa correspomlingplate placed card-board, space must be provided so that on the opposite side of the ratchet-wheel, the cards will drop into the pockets freely said hammer having a projection protruding without interfering with each other. To acthroughaholein the plate. in suchpositionthat complish this, as the cards pass out from when the ratchet rotatestheprojectionthereon the delivery-rolls one of their sides passes will passagaiust that on the hammer and more along upon the upper edge of the plate S, the it away from the bell M, the spring .1, attached opposite side of the card being pressed down to the plate and to the hammer, forcing the into the pocket in a tilted positlon by coming latter quickly against the bell when the proj against and under the weight L, the projecjections have passed each other. tion 011, or the unequal depth of the pocket, A plate, 0, lying in a horizontal position causing the cards to lie in a uniform package. j ustbeneath the u ppcr cutter-roll, E, is secured The spring-holders K, which are made broad in position by a bar, II, attached at the lower at their upper ends, have their lower ends at end to said plate, and at the upper end to tached to the shaft U, and extend up in front the bar, which extends from one cap, ll, of and bear against each plate, and, aside to the other: and this bar I! is made in two from their own elasticity, maybe held against parts, and secured together at f by a small the edge of the plate bya spring, V, attached screw; or the plate 0 ismade adjustable up and at convenient points. The prismatic shaft V down by any other means. A corresponding is provided at its outer end with a plate, 1, plate, 0, placed just below the plate 0, with to the side of which is pivoted a pawl, 1', ensuflicient space bet ween for the strip of cardgaging with a ratchet, r, secured to the shaft, board to pass through, is secured in position and provided with the same number of teeth hya bar, 0, connected therewith and attached as the prism V has sides, which, in the pres to the frame. A shaft, 1), has its bearin gs in cut case, are four. The arms L are suspended the frame A, and two upright arms, D, are, atfrom a rod, L, over one side of each pocket, to tached to this shaft, and project up through force one side of the card down into the pocket slot-s made in the table 1 and a lever, C, is first, so that each card will drop quickly into attached to said shaft. one end of which lever the pocket, and not remain in aposition to inbears against a cam, C, secured to the shaft terfere with the next card. (7 being held in contact therewith by either The rear ends of the two plates 0 and c are a weight or sprin curved, the upper one upward, and the lower Theshaft V is made prismatic,or four-sided, one downward, to permit the strip of cardits entire length, except at its bearings at board to pass in between the plates freely. either end, which are in journal-boxes placed A gage, B may be attached to the table in the horizontal jaws A; and the ends of this B, which may be cut away at w, to permit prismatic or four-sided part of the shaft Vare the arms 1) to pass back of the line of its provided with flat bearings a, each of which front edge; and an end gage may also be sein its turn bears against the perpendicular cured to the table, extending horizontally at projection .70 in the rear of the jaws A A right angles to the gage 13 toward the feedrod, 2 extends outward from the journalrolls, and the latter, together with the deboxes through a hole in each cap. which covlivery-rolls F and F are held down to give ers the ends of the horizontal jaws A and a the required pressure, and yet allow the up spring, a, is placed around each rod, which per rolls to give slightly, by springs a placed forces the boxes and the shaft backward, with between the cap 11 and the blocks in which the bearing .r", against the vertical projec said upper rolls have their bearings. tion :0 The different rolls are so geared together Each side of the prismatic part of the shaft by toothed wheels attached thereto that the is provided with a series of plates, S. or their rolls shall turn in the same direction, so that equivalent, which stand perpendicular to the a strip passed in between the feed-rolls 1" corresponding side of the prism Y, and at suitand F will be carried through between them able distances apart, forming a series of pockand the cutters, and be carried out between cts; and a guard,1t. is secured to each side ofl the delivery-rolls F and F at the opposite the prism V, and extends around in front of side of the machine, and it is immaterial the pocket on the adjacent side, as shown whether all the toothed wheels are located at clearly in Fig. II, each pocket beingprovided one end of the machine or part located at one with a guard, It. end and part at the other.

In each pocket, formed by two plates, S, l The operation of my invention is as follows: place a projection, m, at the bottom, orany In the manufacture of postal cards many equivalent device, or make one side of the impressions are printed upon one sheet atthe same time, and these sheets are cut into strips, each having a single row of printed impressions, by means of a machine provided with the required number of cutters. These strips are then placed singly in succession back against the front edge of the gage B and with their ends against the end gage.

Motion being given to the rolls by a belt applied to a pulley attached to the end of the rolls, the arms D are caused to vibrate to and fro toward and from the feed-rolls, and a strip laid against the gage B is carried by the arms up to and passed in between the feed-rolls F and F and is carried by them in between the cutters b I), and as the strip passes in it raises the lower end of the arm 0, the curved end of which then rides along upon the strip, or, rather, the strip passing along beneath it, and the ratchet-wheel t is turned one tooth. As soon as that strip is passed through, the lower end of the arm 0 drops again, and is again raised, as before, by the next strip passing through, turning the ratchet-wheeli another tooth, and so on.

The cards are all cut up into equal lengths by the cutters b I), and are carried through by the rolls F and F and as they pass out through those -the weights L press upon one edge and tilt that side of the card down, so that it passes readily under the guard R, and a card drops into each pocket along the upper side of the prism V as each strip is passed through and cut, and the arm 0 is also moved and the ratchet i turned one tooth.

If there are twenty-five teeth on the wheel '1', as the latter makes one revolution, or moves around twenty-five teeth, the pin on the wheel t passes against the projection on the hammer and raises it or moves it away from the bell, and when the pin has passed the spring forces back the hammer, or'if the latter is sufficiently heavy it will drop of itself, causing it to strike the bell. \Vhen this occurs the attendant seizes the lever H brings it forward, and the pawl 1' engages with a tooth, 'r, on the end of the shaft V, and turns the latter, bringing the next side, with its empty pockets, uppermost, ready to receive the cards as they are cut, and while these are being out those in the other pockets turned to the front are removed.

If the prism or shaft V is turned immediately after the bell is struck, each pocket turned in front will be found to contain just twentyfive cards, or the same number as there are teeth in the wheel Any desired number of pockets may be arranged on each side of the prismatic shaft V to correspond with the number of cards it is desired to cut the strip into, and each pocket will receive the same number of cards at the same time, and may be removed by the operators and put up into packages without any time being wasted in counting them, the machine having performed that work when the cards were deposited.

The cam-shaft O is made to rotate or revolve by a band, D passed over a pulley attached to that shaft, and over another attached to any of the shafts, or in any other convenient manner.

As the cards pass through the machine in being cuta very narrow strip is generally cut off from the ends of the long strip of cards; and the plates 0 and c are placed at that part of the machine where the ends pass through, to hold the ends steady and in a perfectly horizontal position as they pass along; otherwise the ends would bend or curl, so that the edge of the last card at each end would not be straight, or the card rectangular.

It will be perceived that the lever 0 will not beraised unless the strips are passing through, so that the counting portion of the machine will not operate, although the machine may be left running for any length of time, unless strips are being cut.

I am aware that counting-machines of various constructions have heretofore been made and used, and I do not claim the same 111 general; and I am also aware that various machines have heretofore been made and used for cutting paper or card-board, and I make no claim to the said devices, irrespective of my construction of the same, for the purposes described.

Having described my invention, what 1 claim as new is- 7 1. The combination, in a machine for cutting cards, of the feed-rolls F and F the series of cutters b b, arranged on the shafts E and E, the rolls F and F and the horizontal guide-plates c and c with the feed-arms I), all substantially as described.

2. The combination of the feed-rolls F and F the series of cutters b 1), arranged on the rolls E and E, the pivoted lever 0, pawl n, ratchet-Wheel i, and hammer n, substantial] y as and for the purpose herein set forth.

3. In a machine for cutting cards, the prismatic shaft V, provided with a series of pockets, S, upon its sides, each having a guard, B, said shaft being arranged to have an intermittent rotary movement, in combination wlth a series of cutters for cutting the cards and rolls for delivering them into said pockets at" ter being cut, substantially as described.

4. A series of pockets, S, arranged on the sides of a prismatic shaft, V, each pocket provided with a guard, It, in combination with a series of holders, K, which are common to each series of pockets on the difierent sides of the shaft as each series is brought successively into connection with said holders,'substan tiall y as set forth.

5. In a card-cutting machine, the combination of the prismatic bearing 00 the vertical projection 90 having a correspondingly-straight bearing, and the springs a for holding the said bearings firmly in contact and the shaft V in its proper position for the pockets arranged thereon to receive the cards from the cutters, substantially as herein set forth.

F. The series of plates S, arranged on the sides of the prismatic shaft V, forming pockets between, each pocket provided with a projection, m, or equivalent device, in the bottom of the pocket, in combination with the weights or arms L asameans of causing the cards to drop into and lie in the pockets in a tilted position, substantially as described.

7. A series of plates, S, arranged on the sides of a prismatic shaft, V, forming pockets, each of the latter provided with a projection, m, or equivalent device, in combination with the guards R and holders K, substantially as herein set forth.

ELISHA MORGAN. \Yitnesses:

'l. A. CURTIS, 1). A. THAYER. 

